Kniphofia plant named &#39;Poco Orange&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Kniphofia  plant characterized by its habit of forming multiple crowns fast and each crown produces inflorescences in the first season, large inflorescences of orange flowers with dark tips on short stems, a very long bloom time with repeat blooming from July through October in Canby, Oreg., a short habit, narrow, grassy leaves, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Kniphofia spp.

CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

‘Poco Orange’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Kniphofia, and given the cultivar name is ‘Poco Orange’. Kniphofia is in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae. ‘Poco Orange’ is a hybrid resulting from a planned breeding program to produce short, compact, reblooming Kniphofia. The cross was made using the following proprietary, unreleased plants: Kniphofia K85-3, as the seed parent and Kniphofia K86-1b, as the pollen parent. It was selected for best habit, flower color, reblooming, and crown count from many seedlings of the cross in Canby, Oreg.

Compared to Kniphofia K85-3, the seed parent, the new cultivar is more free-flowering and has orange flowers rather than red.

Compared to Kniphofia K86-1b, the pollen parent, the new cultivar is more free-flowering.

Compared to Kniphofia ‘Creamsicle’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,489, the new cultivar has larger flowers and inflorescences that are a darker orange color with dark tips rather than creamy red orange.

Compared to Kniphofia ‘Mango Popsicle’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,968, the new cultivar has inflorescences at half the height and orange flowers with dark tips rather than yellow orange flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is unique and characterized by:

1. its habit of forming multiple crowns fast and each crown produces inflorescences in the first season,

2. large inflorescences of orange flowers with dark tips on short stems,

3. a very long bloom time with repeat blooming from July through October in Canby, Oreg.,

4. a short habit,

5. narrow, grassy leaves, and

6. excellent vigor

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division, tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the new cultivar. Asexual propagation by leaf cuttings, tissue culture, and division using standard techniques as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows 6-month-old Kniphofia ‘Poco Orange’ in the ground in the trial field in August in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Kniphofia cultivar based on observations of 6-month-old specimens growing outside in full sun in Canby, Oreg. These were planted as 4″ plants in late May. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—rhizomatous herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 7 to 9.         -   Size.—grows to 66 cm wide and 40 cm tall from the top of the             soil to the top of the foliage.         -   Crown #—about 30.         -   #Leaves/crown.—about 11.         -   #inflorescences/crown.—1 to 2.         -   Form.—clumping.         -   Roots.—Fine to medium in thickness, moderately dense,             fibrous; color 158A to 158B.         -   Growth rate.—vigorous. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple, upright aspect.         -   Shape.—strap-like, keeled.         -   Arrangement.—basal rosette with about 11 leaves per shoot.         -   Blade size.—22 cm to 47 cm long and 4 mm to 9 mm wide.         -   Margins.—entire.         -   Apex.—acuminate.         -   Base.—clasping.         -   Surface texture.—glabrous on topside, glaucous on the both             sides.         -   Venation.—parallel.         -   Color.—top and bottom side Green 137A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—spike-like scapose raceme.         -   Number of flowers per raceme.—about 120.         -   Inflorescence.—11.5 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.         -   Peduncle description.—strong, grows to 31 cm long and 10 mm             wide, glabrous, Yellow Green 146A.         -   Pedicle description.—1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, glabrous,             Yellow Green 146B.         -   Bloom time.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.         -   Lastingness.—an inflorescence lasts for 2 to 4 weeks             depending on the temperature. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—29 mm long and 4 mm wide.         -   Shape.—cylindrical.         -   Surface texture.—glabrous.         -   Color.—Orange 26C with main veins and tips Orange Red 34A. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—actinomorphic.         -   Shape.—cylindrical and tubular.         -   Size.—grows to 32 mm deep and 10 mm wide.         -   Aspect.—side to slightly down facing.         -   Texture.—waxy.         -   Surface texture.—glabrous on both sides.         -   Corolla description.—28 mm long and 10 mm wide, 6-lobed             fused tepals, tube 26 mm long and 5 mm wide, lobes reflex,             each 3 mm wide and 4 mm long, ovate, entire, obtuse to             acute, color inside and outside Yellow Orange 22A with main             veins Orange Red 34A.         -   Pistil description.—one, 27 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, ovary             oblong, 2 mm long 1.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 146C, style 25             mm long, Grayed Yellow 161C, stigma crested, minute, White             NN155A.         -   Stamen.—6, 32 mm long, filaments 30.5 mm long and less than             1 mm wide, White 155A, anthers 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide and             Yellow 8A, pollen Yellow 4A, scarce.         -   Fragrance.—none. -   Fruit: none seen -   Pest and diseases: Pests and diseases are infrequent on Kniphofia     spp. No problems have been observed on this plant grown under     commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Kniphofia plant as herein shown and described. 